In integrated circuit (IC) design, inductors and transformers are key components which are commonly called for and used by designers. Standard IC chip fabrication uses external components and Back End Of Line (BEOL) inductors to form transformers in and upon ICs. These components and transformers are used by designers to effect inductance passives, and to perform impedance matching in ICs. These external components and BEOL inductors are added onto the wafer as part of the manufacturing process. This use of off-chip discrete elements to provide inductors and transformers in current IC chip fabrication technology limits chip design options and increases circuit size, circuit complexity, and the number of external components used in electronic circuits.
In some ICs, monolithic on-chip inductors and transformers may be incorporated into the design to decrease the complexity and size of the IC. However, the on-chip inductors and transformers which must be used on the chip to meet the design demands, often result in large and restrictive patterns on the IC. These large monolithic components may limit design flexibility and consume a large amount of IC area.